TANG DYNASTY NEWLY REVISED MATERIA MEDICA: "Blended into juice, it can be used to arrest dysentery and as a wash to treat the head and body for boils and itching."

SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMPLIFIED MATERIA MEDICA: "Strengthens the stomach and reactivates stagnant qi. It will produce immediate effects in a decoction with added sugar."

THE COMPENDIUM OF MATERIA MEDICA: "Promotes digestion and breaks down retained meat."

Western Research

Am J Chin Med. 2005;33(1):1-10.Hawthorn: potential roles in cardiovascular disease.
Chang WT, Dao J, Shao ZH.
Emergency Resuscitation Center, Department of Medicine Section of Emergency Medicine, University of Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Hawthorn (Crataegus) may play a role in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and in particular, congestive heart failure. Evidence is accumulating that hawthorn may induce anti-ischemia/reperfusion-injury, anti-arrhythmic, hypolipidemic and hypotensive effects. These beneficial effects may in part be due to the presence of antioxidant flavonoid components. While a number of studies have been performed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of hawthorn, an international, multicenter, prospective clinical study including a large number of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II/III heart failure patients is ongoing to test hawthorn's long-term therapeutic effects. Further clinical trials as well as pharmacokinetic and mechanistic studies are needed to explore and confirm its effectiveness, safety and pharmacological mechanism.

Phytomedicine. 2003;10(5):363-9.A randomised double blind placebo controlled clinical trial of a standardised extract of fresh Crataegus berries (Crataegisan) in the treatment of patients with congestive heart failure NYHA II.
Degenring FH, Suter A, Weber M, Saller R. Bioforce AG, Roggwil, Switzerland.
A placebo controlled, randomised, parallel group, multicentre trial conducted
in accordance with the guidelines of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) shows
the efficacy and safety of a standardised extract of fresh berries of
Crataegus oxyacantha L. and monogyna Jacq. (Crataegisan) in patients with
cardiac failureI. A total of 143 patients (72 men, 71 women, mean age
of 64.8 (8.0 years) were recruited and treated with 3 times 30 drops of
the extract (n = 69) or placebo (n = 74) for 8 weeks. The conclusion is
that the recruited NYHA II patients may expect an improvement in their
heart failure condition under long term therapy with the standardised
extract of fresh Crataegus berries.